Books Books every where

So what do teachers do when they have a lot of time at school, and nothing to do? I'll tell you what one teacher did - read. Read a lot. A friggin' lot. Because I sat at school all day. All friggin' day.

Anyway, here's a list of books I put to rest, all recommended reads:

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail (Jerod Diamond) - Excellent book if you like history, sociology, or anthropology. Or any combination of the three. (thought not as good as the predecessor, "Guns, Germs and Steele").

The Unfinished Election of 2000 (various) - a deep look at the constitutional issues surrounding the Bush/Gore election. It was dubbed the "Unfinished Book" by my roommate, who declared it so after having spent the whole year trying to finish it. Good if you're a poli sci person, though I think most would find it less than interesting.

Hitlers Daugher - An interesting children's fiction book that supposes that Hitler had a child that no one knew about. I read it for professional development. Really.

Freakanomics (Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner) - Its economics but its INTERESTING (though I already like economics). I finished that one in about two days. It asks crazy questions like "Why do drug dealers live with their moms" and "What do the KKK and Real Estate Agents have in common?" They are random questions, but you will start to see the world a little differently after reading this book.

Besides those books, I've read various articles from "Foreign Affairs" magazine and a few short stories from Mark Twain.

Yeah... thats about all I have to say. Because nothing else has been happening.

The End is Near

So it has been over a month since I’ve posted anything, but not because nothing has happened.

Standard opening line of most blogs I’ve read in the last few months. BOH-ring.

Every once in a while I will stop and think, “I should post something soon – but nothing interesting has happened.” But then I remember that I live on the other side of the world, and how can that NOT be interesting.

Um... yeah.

But it is near the end of the year. We only have two weeks of school left, and both of those weeks are full of exams. Which means a little more free time for me.

I did have an interesting conversation with a student. The student told me that he had started talking to an American online - probably on MSN or myspace or something similar. They started asking usual questions: Whats it like? How do you live? etc. The ends of the earth have exotic and fantastic ways of living that fascinate us. So, in pictures, I shall show you how I live.

This is how I get to school every day:

This is the outside of the school:

And here is the entrace to my apartment.

Ok, so maybe I'm lying. But this is apparently what some people have in their minds.

Of course, you are probably dying to know what these pictures are and where they are from. And I didn't copy them from the Internet. I (or my dad) actually took them.

Click here to enjoy.

I found this on Fox News today.

One Heck of a Wild Sheep Case

Thousands of Japanese have been swindled in a scam in which they were sold Australian and British sheep and told they were poodles, News Australia reports.

Flocks of sheep were marketed as fashionable accessories — available at $1,300 each — by a company called Poodles as Pets. A real poodle retails for twice that much in Japan.

The scam was uncovered when Japanese film star Maiko Kawamaki went on a talk-show and wondered why her new pet would not bark or eat dog food.

She was crestfallen when told it was a sheep.

Click here to see a photo.

Hundreds of other women got in touch with police to say they feared their new "poodle" was also a sheep.

One couple said they became suspicious when they took their "dog" to have its claws trimmed and were told it had hooves.

Police believe there could be 2,000 people affected by the scam.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,268766,00.html

Mount Nebo

Below is a link to the video taken on Mount Nebo in Jordan, the moutain Moses stood on as God showed him the promised land (and where he later died).

The view starts due north from the mountain and starts turning to the west. During the turn you can see the Jordan River, Jericho and it ends with the Dead Sea off to the left.

I'll be honest - the youtube video isn't quite as dramatic as the actual view itself. But its the best I can do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA-hFgqP9Lo

Pictures are coming soon.

A week in Jordan

Not less than 24 hours ago, I was sitting on the runway in Jordan, waiting for my plane to take off.

Since then, I've slept, grocery shopped, done laundry, taught four classes, planned lessons, done some research on "The Epic of Gligamesh" and the actual location of Sodom and Gomorrah.

"But wait," you say. "How do you blather on about such trivial matters when you have just returned from such adventures in such exotic places as Jordan!?"

Well, I didn't actually take any pictures myself, so I need to wait for my dad to send me the highlight pictures. But I will say this.

1) Floating in the Dead Sea is pretty sweet. You really do float right at the top.

2) Petra is about as cool as the rumors say it is.

3) Looking off of Mount Nebo (Mhere moses looked at the promised land before he died) has an amazing view of Canaan.

4) I knew just enough Arabic to make people believe I knew a lot of Arabic. It boosted my self esteem. The soldiers at the Military checkpoints were especially amused.

The pictures will soon make their way onto this blog as soon as I receive them from my dad. But until then you will have to wait in eager anticipation.